Fear Inside
by Decepticon-silverstreak
Summary: Fear. It did terrible things to people. Made them quake in the dark corners of their minds. Forced them to look over their shoulder. Drove them mad. But Jack knew that was the price of having fun. What was the point of having fun when there wasn't that sweet thrill that whispered in your ear?


_Don't get too close_

_It's dark inside_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

~Demons by Radioactive

Fear.

It did terrible things to people. Made them quake in the dark corners of their minds. Forced them to look over their shoulder. Drove them mad. But Jack knew that was the price of having fun. What was the point of having fun when there wasn't that sweet thrill that whispered in your ear?

_That's what killed me._

It's made her do terribly stupid things. Not that she regretted it. She always enjoyed the way Pippa screamed then started laughing.

_Pippa_.

Jack frowned, then took to the sky. The moon was shining brightly and she scoffed. She didn't need him. Her sweatshirt was weighed down by the relic that held her teeth; her memories. She just couldn't let it go. It was too precious.

Landing by her lake, she quietly landed feet first into the snow covered ground, and Jack leaned against a tree, sliding down until her bottom reached the ground. She pulled the object from her pocket and a deep sigh escaped her.

_One last time._

She looked at the rainbow and gold object before clicking the center diamond and her mind shattered into infinite crystals.

_The room was cold; freezing but that didn't stop her small giggles as she and Pippa laid underneath the covers and told stories._

"_Does the Tooth Fairy really do that? Leave money under your pillow?" Pippa's eyes were wide, and Jack laughed and was quickly shushed by her sister, in fear they would wake their mother up._

"_Uh huh. Sure does. I remember when I lost my first tooth. I fell out of a tree and landed face first." But the fun was worth a little pain._

"_Can I meet her? What does she look like Jack?"_

_Jack face scrunched up in thought for a second, and then light up._

"_Well she has these wings made of gold, but not like bird wings. Dragon fly ones; light and pretty. She wears a dress that is decorated with the most perfect, shiniest teeth in the world. And her crown! You can't forget the crown! It's made of teeth, jewels, and gold. It would make the queen of England jealous! But she won't leave any money if you don't go to sleep!"_

_Pippa gasped and quickly shut her eyes, feigning sleep._

_Jack simply smiled._

Another memory greeted her, slamming into her mind.

_She quietly walked up behind Pippa, who was crying quietly on the porch. It was spring, Easter the week before and the air was humming with the life of the forest._

"_Hey Pips, what's wrong?" Jack asked quietly, sitting down next to her._

"_They told me they weren't real. Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman. They are all just stupid, made up things!" Pippa shouted loudly, tears still streaming down her face. Jacked pulled her sister close, pressing her hand against Pippa's cheek._

"_Well they're lying. They all exist but sometimes, other kids stop believing, grow up, and they let go of their childhood. It doesn't matter how old we are, we can still believe in them. Why I still believe in them and I'm sixteen." She smirked, holding a cheery façade over her true emotions. Pippa was only six. She still had a childhood ahead of her and she didn't need some inconsiderate jerks to do that._

"_But does that mean the Boogey Man exists?"_

"_Well… yeah. Why in fact the Boogey Man is my best friend!" Jack says jumping up. She runs to a tree and climbs up it until she reaches a sturdy branch._

"_Jack!"_

_She hangs by the backs of her knees and waves to Pippa, who is smiling._

"_See we need the Boogey Man but that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of him. Why he's right beside me!" She points to the thin air, that had nothing in it and Pippa calls up._

"_Where? I don't see him!"_

_She pretends to gasps and jumps down._

"_You don't see my best friend?! You can't have fun without being scared. Heck, I'm always having fun so that must mean that I always have to be scared!"_

_Pippa rolls her eyes but grabs Jack's hand as they run to the meadow to look for left over Easter eggs._

_Who knows? Maybe the bunny left a few spares?_

Jack gasps loudly as she feels herself being tugged back in.

_SLAM_

"_You think it's okay to treat a little girl like that? Huh?" She snarls as she throws another punch at the older boys._

"_Oh come on Jacklyn, it's time she grew up!" Another chorus of laughter surrounds them and she swings her fist at the closest face, hearing that satisfying crunch of cartilage. Shouts of shock and outrage swarm around her._

"_Stay away from Pippa!" Jack hisses and then there gone, and now it's just her and the quiet pond. The painted egg in her hand is crushed and she sighs. The pieces fall to the ground and she steps over them, and walks over to the water. Her hands are stained red, and the blood washes away disappearing into the deep, dark water._

"_Hmph. Stupid boys." She mutters to the water, but no one human hears her._

It keeps pulling her under too fast, too much and it won't stop.

"_Jack! Jack!"_

_She comes running down the hall and throws open the bedroom down where a quaking Pippa greets her. She's surrounded by a pile of quilts and blankets and she points to under the bed._

"_What's under the bed Pips?"_

_Jack barely heard the terrified whisper._

"_The Boogey Man. He's here! I saw him! He had yellow eyes and pointy teeth!"_

_She sighs on the inside, thinking it might have been a snake or some other wild animal that had tried to make its way inside from the harsh winter that howled loudly outside the window._

"_Do you want me to make him go away Pips?"_

_A nod of the head._

_Jack gets on her hands and knees and crawls towards the bed, where the bottom was covered by a blanket but underneath was pitch black and she gulped a little._

_Monsters aren't real._

_Quickly pulling up the covers, she feels her eyes go wide as she saw a flash of two gold orbs. They were gone in a blink of an eye._

_Jack forces herself to stay calm and she throws a smile on her face._

"_Alrighty he's all gone now! He's going off to talk to the Headless Horseman now!" Jack smiles and Pippa jumps excitedly on top of the bed._

"_Can you tell me that story? Please?!" She crawls under the covers and begins to tell the tale of Sleepy Hallows._

Jack starts to choke, and feels tears running down her face.

It feels like each and every image is being branded into her mind.

"_Jack. I'm scared."_

She tried stopping the cursed object but her hand won't let go and she hears a familiar voice shout at her.

"Frostbite? Oh Moon Jack! Aye what's wrong wit ya?" A fur covered paw touches her shoulder and she feels her memories start pouring their way into another source.

"_It's okay. It's okay!" Jack wasn't sure who she was trying to assure but seeing Pippa helpless, terrified on top of the cracking ice she felt true fear in her._

"_Don't look down… Just… just look at me." She leans forward a little and Pippa looks her in the eyes._

"_Jack. I'm scared." The sound of the ice cracking beneath her little sister's feat is deafening. It's like a spider web beneath her and it finally caught its prey._

"_I know I know." Jack lightly steps to her but the ice cracks under the weight of her foot. Fear pours into her like molten lead. __"You're going to be alright. You're not going to fall in. Uh… we're going to have a little fun instead!"_

_Fun's what put them there in the first place._

"_No we're not!" Pippa shouts._

"_Yeah we are! Just like when we played in the meadow looking for Easter eggs, or like when we went up on the roof lookin for Santa. Would I trick you Pips?_

"_Yes! You always play tricks!" Pippa's voice is accusing and Jack knows she's running out of time._

"_Well not this time. I promise."_

She broke that promise she died trying to save Pippa and there are still voices screaming at her and she doesn't know if they are real or her memories.

"Stop it stop it!" She screams and she can feel her magic going haywire, and everything goes white.


End file.
